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Sales of note for 8.30.24
(See all of the latest workwear sales at Corporette!)
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 20% off
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lands’ End – 40% off sitewide; 50% off backpacks, 40% off kids’ apparel
- Loft – Summer sale, 30% off new arrivals; up to 50% off much more
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- Zappos – 28,000+ women’s sale items! (check out these reader-favorite workwear brands on sale, and some of our favorite kids’ shoe brands on sale)
Kid/Family Sales
- Carter’s – 50% off everything
- Hanna Andersson – Up to 40% off everything
- J.Crew Crewcuts – 40% off sitewide; extra 50% off sale styles
- Old Navy – 50-60% off; 50% off pants for the family
- Target – 20% off select clothing for all; up to 50% off home; up to 30% off select nursery furniture; up to 30% off kitchen & dining
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And — here are some of our latest threadjacks of interest – working mom questions asked by the commenters!
- The concept of “backup care” is so stupid…
- I need tips on managing employees in BigLaw who have to leave for daycare pickup…
- I’m thinking of leaning out to spend more time with my family – how can I find the perfect job for that?
- I’m now a SAHM and my husband needs to step up…
- How can I change my thinking to better recognize some of my husband’s contributions as important, like organizing the shed?
- What are your tips to having a good weekend with kids, especially with little kids? Do you have a set routine or plan?
JJ says
Yesterday’s question about whining got me thinking. My 3-year old talks. Incessantly. He’s very smart and observant, but he’ll talk and then repeat the same sentence (“I see a dinosaur!”) over and over and over until my husband or I respond to him. This makes talking on the phone (or having a conference call while the kids are home for a snow day…) very difficult. It’s getting to the point where it’s incredibly difficult for my husband and I to have a conversation if son is around.
I don’t know if this is asking for advice or venting. I don’t want to stifle his desire to talk to us and communicate, but it’s just. so. much.
Spirograph says
I know how you feel; my almost-2 year old is a chatterbox, too. He likes to keep a running commentary of everything for us, which is adorable and obnoxious all at once. We’re working on “excuse me” if he wants to interrupt while my husband and I are talking. We acknowledge right away, but tell him to wait quietly for just a minute while we finish our thoughts. Mixed success so far, but it’s at least a little reprieve!
This was my mom’s suggestion…apparently I also talked incessantly when I was little. :)
Anon says
My nephews were trained with the “excuse me” tactic and it did not work well, from my perspective. They use “Excuse me!!” as a free pass to barrel on with whatever else they want to say. I think the “acknowledge right away, but tell him to wait quietly for just a minute while we finish our thoughts” piece you mentioned is critical for making the tactic work as intended.
I’m also struck by how many people have responded that their kids also have the tendency to chatter incessantly. Is there any school of thought about a way to educate kids that not everyone wants to hear what they have to say all.the.time without squashing their curiosity? I don’t mean the old-school “children should be seen and not heard” model, but something that teaches self-awareness and control?
mascot says
As a fellow parent of a motor mouth, I completely get where you are coming from. I now treasure silence. Ironically, my son talked late (he had words, but not sentences) and I was worried. Now I can’t get him to be quiet. We get incessant questions, so much that he doesn’t even listen to an answer before he asks the next question. When asked to repeat the explanation, he gives it verbatim so there is some comprehension buried in there. He’s quiet while sleeping and playing with his Kindle/watching tv. To the extent you can use those things as a crutch, it might make working from home easier.
We’ve been working on not interrupting people while they are speaking and other social niceties and it is improving slowly. There’s a book called My Mouth is a Volcano that is supposed to help explain why we don’t interrupt, we have it on order. I imagine that there are other resources out there. Some of it is just maturity and impulse control so it’s going to take some time. Just know that you aren’t alone.
My parents also are laughing at the sweet revenge I am getting, I started talking at 6 months and never shut up as a child.
MomAnon4This says
Totally age-appropriate, if it makes you feel better.
You might want to prep him – mommy will be on the phone, please don’t talk to me, you do this (color, iPad, whatever, I’m not judging. Just give him something to do). About 5 minutes into the phone call, give him positive reinforcement (THANK YOU for being so good for Mommy! I just have to do this while you do that, and then we’ll be able to play, eat, watch, read, whatever.) and that should last him another 10-15 minutes. A bit more positive attention, a little more time for you.
Re: repeating. Yes, my son does this. The kid must be acknowledged, or at least explain why you can’t acknowledg him right now.
Re: difficulty for you and husband to have a conversation. YES. My son is 6 and will actually say, HOW COME NO ONE IS TALKING TO ME?! (Yes, he’s an only child…) We talk a lot about how Mommy and Daddy don’t do this to him when he’s talking to 1 of us, and letting us talk helps us be good parents for him, and good husband and wife (he is also smart, etc. This is not above his head.) BUT he is still obviously quite jealous of us together. We’re working on this….
GG says
I’ve heard of this method, which seems like such a peaceful, loving way to interrupt: Toddler places hand on mom’s arm. Mom places her hand over toddler’s to acknowledge toddler. I’m not sure it works with crazy toddler energy, though.
http://www.aneverydaystory.com/2014/07/07/how-to-teach-your-child-not-to-interrupt/
noob says
+1 — we’re not at that stage yet, but I’ve had friends use this with reasonable success in elementary school kids.
EB0220 says
Yep, my 3 year old does this too. My mom said that I did the same thing, and called it “Recreational Talking” (hee hee).
Merabella says
OK. So we moved in to our first house last weekend, and my baby is due in 50 days (thanks Target for keeping me in the know with your registry count down). I haven’t bought anything for the baby yet, because I just didn’t want to have to pack anything else up to move it, I figured I’d wait until we moved in. Well, now I’m moved in, but I feel completely overwhelmed by ALL THE THINGS and that our nursery has NONE OF THE THINGS! Help me to curate my registry – what do I actually need? All that is in the nursery right now is the crib (no mattress or bedding, just the crib) and a dresser that will store baby clothes etc and will be used as a changing table. HELP!
MomAnon4This says
Crib (not urgent – get a pack and play). Changing table (We used a dresser). Basket for diaper stuff on top of the changing table. Diaper pail. Hamper for dirty clothes. Cute pictures on the wall. Small bookshelf. Few clothes for 0-3 months (people love to buy these). Lots of clothes 3-6 months.
I didn’t have a chair in the nursery.
Lots of burp cloths. Few towels (again, people love to buy these).
No worries. We lived in a small apartment and got by with this for months.
MomAnon4This says
Oh, didn’t see that you already have crib & dresser/change table. 3-4 sets of sheets. Some sleep bags for the baby to sleep in because blankets aren’t allowed now.
Diapers. Diaper ointment. You’re OK! Really.
Spirograph says
Congrats on your new house! Obviously you need a mattress and bedding, but a glider with a footstool is the only other furniture item I’d prioritize. Eventually you’ll probably want some kind of toy storage, but you’re doing ok. Really. Changing pad and covers, swaddle blankets/burp cloths, trash can with a lid, laundry basket, and a night light or small lamp so you can see to change diapers in the middle of the night.
Transition says
I didn’t use either child’s nursery for 3+ months. Really, the only items that were essential to us at first were:
– Noisemaker;
– rock and play (babies slept in this for months);
– good crib mattress (older child still using it at 3) and lots of sheets (we didn’t have any other crib bedding);
– diapers, diaper cream, ointment;
– swaddle blankets (we used Halo – buy one or two different brands; don’t stock up until you know what your kiddo will actually like);
– diapers (but we never bought until child arrived – both of my kids skipped newborn diapers entirely);
– a few bottles (again, don’t buy too many, some kids are really picky with bottles and I’ve known a few friends who had to sell tons of unused);
– some receiving blankets.
And, I think that’s it. Overall, don’t overbuy. The kid you have will dictate a lot of what you ultimately need, and no matter what you purchase now, you’ll end up forgetting/needing new stuff that first week(s). Both of our kids were at BabiesRUs within days of arriving, and Amazon Prime filled all the rest in.
Amalah is my go-to for all things baby-wise, and I wish I would have more strictly adhered to this guidance: http://alphamom.com/pregnancy/ultimate-baby-registry-checklist/ — ETA: there’s even a bunch of stuff on this list that I would have skipped (toys? teething? sunscreen? nope, nope nope).
anon says
Haha, my baby is due in 28 days and I don’t have a place for her clothes. Working on that one, though. ;)
For some reason, I am obsessed with making sure that we have enough side snap/kimono style shirts/onesies for the early days until the cord stump falls off. Both Target and Carter’s (and BRU, but ugh) stock these – I got some as hand me downs, and the new ones are hanging out with the tags on.
Spirograph says
Lol, is THAT the point of those little shirts? Seriously, 2 kids and I didn’t know that… I just put them in regular onesies.
anon says
I’m chalking it up to weirdo pregnancy obsessions. ;)
Spirograph says
Definitely! I am glad you helped me solve the mystery of the tiny shirts. I just packed up all the nb size things the other day and came across the ones from the hospital (I never shopped for newborn clothes so I hadn’t seen them anywhere else). I idly wondered again why they do shirts…I decided it was because they need easy chest access for the stethoscope but avoiding the cord stump makes much more sense.
RDC says
+1. I didn’t understand the kimono shirt thing at all! (And we just used regular onesies, too.) It all makes sense now.
anon says
I am totally relieved to know that this is not as essential as the newborn care class led me to believe.
pockets says
buy a baby swing. Not the mamaroo – the huge, ugly fisher price baby swing. thank me later.
mascot says
+1000 And a large pack of batteries if yours doesn’t have a plug. The swing was worth its weight in gold.
Merabella says
Haha, thankfully we were gifted one of these already (hand me down from a co-worker – and the kind that plugs in), we are already eternally grateful.
Anonymous says
Quick TJ question regarding a baby swing. I’ve seen reviews of (1) baby swings; (2) baby bouncy seats; (3) floor gyms; and (4) exersaucers. We have a tiny apartment! Which two, or at most three, did your babies use? Which overlap in terms of function and stage of development? I’m thinking of getting either a swing or a bouncy seat (and if the kid hates it, trade it in for the other), and a floor gym (hopefully it wouldn’t take up too much room when not in use). Would an exersaucer provide significant additional benefits I’m not thinking of?
anne-on says
We were in a 2 bedroom apartment with a small living room when I had my son and we initially didn’t get a swing, thinking a bouncy seat would be fine. After a month of nonstop holding/swinging/rocking/bouncing my fussy baby we overnighted the big ugly fisher price swing to us. It was the only place he’d happily sleep for months, and I would have rather tossed our dining room set out the window than gone without it. YMMV of course but it was the only thing I’d truly not go without.
Transition says
(1) baby swings; (2) baby bouncy seats; —> both usable for newborn through 3/4 months. You really one need the swing. The bouncy seat was just a quick/safe place to put baby while you shower/cook/whatever (my babies never spent much time there), and your baby can use the swing during this time. But, the swing will be a great place for a newborn to sleep. Can be a lifesaver if you have a baby who needs motion to fall and stay asleep. I bought only the bouncy seat for space reasons with my first, and regretted it. It honestly wasn’t helpful for me (baby couldn’t sleep there, and outgrew it quickly).
(3) floor gyms; —> we used from early through about 6 months. Once they start scooting, they will lose interest and be on the move. Both of our boys were/are active, and this was a lifesaver when they needed some entertainment and were too young to do much else.
and (4) exersaucers. —–> most are not usable until around 4 or 5 months +. I’d skip until your baby is older, and around the time that the swing will be on its way out, you can replace it with one of these.
CPA Lady says
You don’t need both the swing and bouncy seat, IMO– I have the bouncy seat mostly because I was too cheap to buy a swing, but I like it. It’s much smaller and a lot easier to move room to room (for instance, if I want to unload the dishwasher, I’ll put my daughter in her bouncy seat in the kitchen). To me, both the swing and the bouncy seat are for age newborn-whenever a kid starts to be mobile. I have the snuggabunny bouncer, and it plays music, nature sounds, and vibrates.
My daughter didn’t start getting interested in the floor gym until about 4 months, and is just now at 5 months getting really into it, can reach up and grab stuff, try to chew on it, etc. The exersaucer is for once they’re big enough to hold up their own heads fairly well and are starting to have decent body control –5-7 months ish? I think it’s also better for older babies because they want to see more and are more interactive. A swing or a bouncy is good for a baby that just sort of lies there, but an exersaucer is for a baby who wants to look around and play with toys.
NewMomAnon says
It depends on the baby – mine HATED her swing, and was somewhat entertained in the bouncy seat for a few minutes at a time. By the time she was 4 months old, she wouldn’t tolerate either one. We had a floor gym that she liked, and we put it away between uses. She loved the exersaucer from about 3 months to 6 or 7 months, and then wanted to be out and crawling around.
Frankly, I think most babies could be OK with just a rock and play for the first 3-4 months and a baby carrier (sling, ergo, moby, whatever). Order a swing if you have a fussy baby who sleeps in a swing, or borrow one from a friend. If you want to get a baby playmat or exersaucer, go for it, but neither are really “necessary” (and the exersaucers take up a lot of real estate).
Anonymous says
Thanks all, this is really helpful and exactly what I was looking for. From these responses, I’m thinking of getting a bouncy seat and *maybe* a baby playmat, consider the exersaucer later down the road, once the baby gets older, and if baby is ultra fussy, overnight or borrow a swing…
pockets says
The swing is a lifesaver (there are always stories of the one-off kid who hated the swing but I think that’s pretty rare). I wholeheartedly disagree that it is not necessary. In fact, if you only had money to buy one big baby item, I would really waver on whether you should get a swing or a stroller. I really was about to fall over and die when, 7 weeks in, we got the swing. The day before we got the swing I was so tired I couldn’t talk. Then we got the swing and every morning my husband would put baby in swing, turn swing on and go to work while I slept. Baby would swing happily for 1-2 hours until I roused myself and got her. It turned me into sleep deprived nervous wreck to sleep deprived somewhat functional human.
IMO swing and bouncy seat are not interchangeable and each serves its own purpose (bouncy seat was for afternoon when I wanted to watch TV and ignore baby without actually just dumping her on the floor and leaving her there, and then if she got cranky I could bounce her to sleep) but, if for some reason the above was not clear enough, if you had to get one I’d get the swing.
Swing and exersaucer are for different stages – exersaucer is not until 4 or 5 months, at which point I got rid of the swing and replaced with exersaucer.
I don’t think we ever really used the floor gym. My baby was not much of a swatter-at-toys, though.
Anonymous says
Agreed. I would not have survived without the swing. We used it daily until baby reached a weight where it no longer swung well (around 12 months). I would have given up any material possession if I had to choose between it and the swing. My kid never liked the bouncer– would spend at most 5 minutes in it. Which is odd since he loved being bounced on an exercise ball. My baby enjoyed his playmat, but in short increments as well and always with someone keeping him company.
Nonny says
Agreed re the swing – a lifesaver. We never had a bouncy seat. But we had a baby who did not like to be put down and really enjoyed movement. We could put her in the swing and actually have time to eat dinner (she never liked it enough to sleep in it for an hour, but we were grateful for dinnertime at least).
We used the baby playmat/gym quite a lot and even took it travelling with us when our daughter was 4 months old. Really, I don’t think you need to even consider it in terms of your space constraints – they aren’t very big and are very useful in helping your baby learn hand/eye co-ordination and giving you some time to do stuff without a baby in your arms. When the baby isn’t using the gym you can fold it up and tuck it behind the sofa. Honestly not a big deal.
We held out on an exersaucer for much longer than we should have – in hindsight our baby was probably ready for one at about 5 months but we didn’t get one until about 7 months. Once we got it she loved it – it became her new favourite toy for about a month. I recommend finding one second-hand – it will probably be useful only until baby starts crawling, and then they just want to explore and don’t want to be cooped up.
Meg Murry says
Will baby be going to daycare or staying home with a nanny or you? Until what age? If baby is going to daycare at 3 months you can probably skip the playmate and possibly the exersaucer since they will only be home and awake for a few hours a day during the week. If you will be home for 6 months or with a nanny you will get more use out of them.
We didn’t have a swing or bouncer, we just used the infant car seat, and then we were given a previous generation of this hideous thing – its so ugly, but the vibrating feature calmed both my kids in a heartbeat, and they slept in it for many naps or nights when they had colds and couldn’t sleep flat.
http://m.target.com/p/fisher-price-infant-to-toddler-rocker/-/A-14588564
We didn’t have an exersaucer, but we did have a folding jumperoo, which was good to have a safe place to plunk the kid when we had to cook or go to the bathroom.
K. says
We had a floor gym and it was great! It would keep her occupied for about an hour at a time from about 3 months until even now at 7. And once she could sit up, we’ve just used a clothes basket with toys in it. We used the clothes basket before she could sit up unsupervised. It has been great! Contains her toys, gives her support to keep her from falling over and didn’t require buying anything since we already had one! AND…we store all her toys in it when she isn’t using it, so there is easy clean-up.
We never had any of the other things you mentioned and it’s been fine.
quailison says
I love this clothes basket idea! It’s like an instant self-contained play area. Thanks!
anonymom says
Borrow a swing if you can, even if it’s just for a few days to see if your baby likes it before you buy one. We did not use ours much.
We did not have or use a bouncy seat until baby was a few weeks old.
Most of what you really need for a newborn involves dealing with explosions of various bodily fluids.
Nursing pillow with a washable cover or two, if you are going to nurse. I found that My Brest Friend worked best when baby was tiny–it is absolutely flat and makes it easier to position a floppy newborn. After she was a couple months old, I preferred Boppy.
Onesies and/or snap pajamas with feet in 0-3 month size. If you are planning to buy newborn size, do not take the tags off in case your baby is big enough not to need them.
Rubbing alcohol and cotton pads, or pre-moistened alcohol swabs in the little packets (the kind diabetics use), for the umbilical cord.
Thermometer.
Velcro swaddlers.
Burp cloths.
Big boxes of diapers in newborn size and next size up. Keep receipts in case you skip the newborn size.
Wipes.
Diaper cream.
Baby nail clippers and nail file.
Assortment of pacifiers in different styles, if you are going to try to get baby to take a paci.
A few bottles and an emergency container of formula, even if you are going to nurse.
Pump and freezer bags (unless you are going 100% formula). Extra pump parts. Microwave sterilizing bags for pump parts.
Bottle warmer and cooler or mini-fridge to avoid midnight trips to the kitchen. Again, these are handy even if you are going to nurse. You will want the other parent to be able to give baby a bottle at least once during the night so you can get some sleep.
Diaper pail and liners.
Pack n’ play with at least 3 sheets and 3 flat waterproof pads to use under sheets.
Changing table with pad and at least two pad covers, if you are not going to use the pack ‘n play changer.
Diaper bag with changing pad.
Nursing pads.
Maxi pads.
Baby bathtub, shampoo, washcloths, and hooded towels.
Fridge/freezer/pantry stocked with lots of easy-to-prepare meals and snacks.
Lots of unscented laundry detergent and stain remover.
Baby carrier suitable for newborn. If you can, borrow multiple styles and figure out which will work for you and baby before buying.
Car seat and snap n’ go or compatible umbrella-style stroller. Extra car seat base for second vehicle.
A few receiving blankets. These can be used as sunshades, nursing covers, swaddling blankets, emergency changing pads, etc.
For a winter baby, heavy blanket for car seat.
Comfortable chair for nursing or feeding. Large throw or blanket to protect chair against spills and spit-up.
Merabella says
This is amazing! Thank you! I think I just need a “if you don’t have this you are going to feel miserable list.”
quailison says
Great list! I cannot emphasize how important the velcro swaddlers and the sleep sacks were for us. No matter how many times we practiced swaddling in the hospital we could not get it down with the blankets, and we were nervous about the kid freeing himself and ending up with blankets around his face.
This might sound gross, but we’ve abandoned the changing pad cover after it got peed on every.single.change for weeks. Now we put down a larger size prefold (we cloth diaper) which seems less annoying and wasteful to wash, somehow.
Also, we don’t have a baby bathtub or baby towels and just sponge/pourover bathe him in the sink with a lot of regular towels for cushioning and drying.
Sort of wish I had gone with the Brest Friend – I am still using a rolled up towel between baby and Boppy to get the proper support, which is less than idea when I’m trying to wrangle everything during a night feeding.
EB0220 says
Absolutely necessary: crib mattress, 2 crib sheets, large swaddle blankets, a few sets of newborn and 0-3 mo clothes, a pack of nb diapers, wipes, carseat, manual pump. You will want to have something for your visitors to do after you give birth, so you will need some reasons to send them to Target/BRU/etc!
CPA Lady says
And put both sets of sheets and waterproof crib mattress cover on at once in case you have a middle of the night explosion– then you can just rip off one set and the crib is already made.
Merabella says
This is seriously genius!
JMDS says
What overnight diapers do you use? We use honest company during the day, but switch to pampers at night because I find them more absorbent. But now that the little guy goes through the night with no diaper change, we will often pick him up and the diaper will have leaked, or that nasty gel has come out and is all over his belly. He has ezcema and sensitive skin in general, so he ends up getting an irritated belly.
Any recs for good overnight diapers, also good for sensitive skin?
anne-on says
We use huggies overnight diapers. Pampers were great for us during the day but the huggies overnight ones are just sooo much more absorbent. My son has eczema and sensitive skin and these never bothered him, probably because they keep him really dry (and he was a super heavy wetter).
pockets says
second the Huggies Overnight. DD went through her diaper for a few nights and once we switched (8 months ago?) we’ve had no problems. They’re hard to find (I have never seen them in a drugstore, only online or at Target). I was so frustrated when I figured out that overnight diapers existed (why aren’t all diapers the most absorbent type of diaper possible?) and then went insane trying to figure out how to get them that day (I didn’t). Now there is Amazon Prime Now, which would have solved that problem.
MomAnon4This says
I never had the diaper gel spill out – or very rarely.
You might want to try the next size up or down.
ANP says
We are religious Target diaper users in our house! Our babies get Swaddlers for NB and size 1, then it’s Target all the way. My 2-year-old wears Target brand overnight diapers and we’ve never had an issue or a leak (pee, gel or otherwise).
rakma says
Seventh Generation overnights have worked great for my sensitive-skinned girl, we use SG for daytime too. I agree with the suggestion above to size up for overnights, we know it’s time to size up when she starts springing leaks.
Frustrated Academic says
We use the Seventh Generation overnight diapers. Generally pretty good, still the occasional pee leak, but I think even overnight diapers have a limit!
(former) preg 3L says
Size up for overnight. I use Pampers Extra Protection.
Lyssa says
We use Huggies and they seem to work really well (we get a monthly shipment through Amazon mom). We don’t use an overnight version, but I’ve found if he starts to leak overnight, it helps a lot to move to the next size up for night and continue on the previous size for day.
Nonny says
Honestly, we never had a good experience with Pampers.
We use Kirkland and have never had a problem with gel leaking out, and very few blow-outs. They also seem to be pretty friendly with my daughter’s sensitive skin.
We have used Huggies in the past and like them too – but Kirkland, to us, is just a smidge better….
hoola hoopa says
+1 to anti-pampers sentiment. Poor design and gave my super sensitive skin kiddo rashes.
Sizing up our regular diapers always worked. We also used Kirkland. Huggies are functionally equivalent IME, but I like the designs on the Kirkland better ;)
My next step would be size up in huggies overnights.
What you are describing definitely sounds like a need to size up.
NewMomAnon says
We use the Pampers BabyDry Extra Protection at night in a size larger than the ones we use during the day. We went through a couple bad spells where we had leaks every single night and tried a bunch of different diapers, but ended up back at Pampers and the leaks stopped. Maybe she just grew into them? I don’t know. Now she goes about 11 hours at night without a change, and wakes up with a pretty full diaper but no leaks (knock on wood).
The Target diapers were magical – no leaks, no smell, cheaper than Pampers. But they eventually gave my kiddo a horrible diaper rash, so we stopped using them. Huggies didn’t fit my kiddo any better, Luvs didn’t fit better, and we were going through so many diapers that I couldn’t stomach the Honest Co. diapers price. Kirkland diapers only came in really big boxes and I wasn’t ready to commit to that many diapers.
JMDS says
Thanks ladies! I think you are all right, I need to size up. We went up to the 4 for daytime, but I’ve still been using 4s at night. But the gel creeps me out now, so I am going to give the Seventh Generation a try. Have tried the Huggies, and didn’t find them that great.
NewMomAnon says
Having a day…I’m sick, baby has a cold, baby was really unhappy this morning (like, nonstop crying and wanting to be picked up for an hour) which is totally unlike her. No fever but she wouldn’t eat (also totally unlike her). And I had a dentist appointment, so I had to rush us out the door and couldn’t just cuddle her and read the book she kept offering to me. And now I’m at work, with a sore mouth and a stuffy nose and a headache, worried about my kiddo at daycare, with contractors calling me because they assumed my house is on a different street and assured me that they knew where they were going, and *surprise* are now lost and leaving me angry voicemails but not picking up their own phones.
*sigh*
Pogo says
Oh dear, that is a DAY. ((hugs))
Carrie M says
Suggestions for an appropriate way to acknowledge that my niece has been accepted by 3 colleges? She will be the second person in their family (after my husband) to attend college, and she’s worked hard to pull her grades up and get to this place. We’ve called her already to say congrats, but I’d like to send a card or gift. Would a card with a check be appropriate – like, go out and celebrate your hard work?
Transition says
It’s awesome you are celebrating this! I’m sure a card/check would be appreciated.
This wasn’t your question, so forgive me – but I’d consider making your gift at the beginning of college approaches. First generation college goers tend to face some additional hurdles – what if you send a card now, but promise to take her to Target to help gather the “stuff” she’ll need for a dorm room at the end of summer? I’d also keep checking in with her to see if she needs help registering for classes or setting up organizational items. She may also benefit from having your husband check in with her periodically in case she’s struggling with managing independent life.
My mom works with first generation college goers, and these students occasionally need more institutional support than their parents are in a position to provide (you can’t know what you don’t know). She sees a lot of students drop out because they didn’t realize they could reach out to admins if they were struggling with a class, or needed help registering for classes, or didn’t know they needed to come with sheets (or whatever). that is – college prep is a lot more than just course-work. Anyway, it’s always nice to be able to talk to someone who’s been there, and you/your husband could be a great resource for her.
anne-on says
That’s a really good point and it would be a sweet gesture if maybe you could also take her out to lunch (if you’re nearby) to celebrate and talk about some of the aspects of college life she may not be aware of/anticipating?
R says
This. I was a first generation college-goer, and I would have loved to have a kindly relative who helped me get ready. Offer to take her out for dorm supplies over the summer. Offer assistance in how to write back to a roommate or how to register for classes or how to figure out what organizations she can join. Check in periodically during the school year to see what isn’t working, and help her think through solutions.
And this is such a petty thing, but send care packages. My family had NO IDEA they were a thing, and I couldn’t very well ask them to spend money on me. But it really did sting a bit to see everyone else get a package full of quarters and hot chocolate and highlighters and a new shirt, and I was hoarding the dollar bills from my waitressing job to afford my new notebook.
MomAnon4This says
These are all great ideas. It’s nice to see people talking about helping people succeed.
Carrie M says
Thanks, ladies! Love these ideas. Unfortunately, we aren’t nearby, but I will definitely offer to do some pre-college shopping with her.
Meg Murry says
I’d give her lots of cards and encouraging phone calls and emails, and check in with her to make sure her parents have done their taxes and paperwork for the FAFSA, since I may be assuming here but she probably will need her financial aid in order to go, and her parents may be clueless about how important that is.
I’d congratulate her now, offer to help her in evaluating aid packages and deciding between schools, and then once she makes the decision send her a college sweatshirt, long sleeved tee and/or T-shirt depending on the appropriate climate.
Anonymous says
I got a big bunch of pink roses (delivered!) when this happened for me, and I remain charmed 16 years later.
Take 3 says
Anyone else’s comments not showing up?
Anonymous says
Mine aren’t posting on the main site today, no idea why. I was simply asking if anyone had a review of the Mac mini, which I am considering purchasing…
meme says
Your comment is there, on the second page of comments.
PregAnon says
My family is going to kill me. I was just casually perusing the strollers today…found the Bugaboo Chameleon…found it in CAMO fabric…(so tacky, but we do a lot of camping and I’m a certified firearms instructor, so it would be hilarious. I’m also not doing “gender” colors – no pink! – and my family is already annoyed. We’re going with a green theme.
Boy do I not want to spend $1300 on a stroller. But this one seems to have all the bits and pieces to it that will make it the only stroller I have to buy. Looks pretty light, too. Does anyone have any experience with it? Am I totally nuts to be considering a $1300 stroller? Or a $700 stroller, for that matter? (was looking at uppaBaby stuff)
Nonny says
Good luck with the no gender colours thing. I am supportive and tried to do the same myself. But I have to warn you, I lasted all of about a month after the baby was born. I was forced to cave under all the pink, flowery cuteness that assailed me. It’s pretty powerful stuff.
PregAnon says
Good point :)
K. says
Second this! We had tons of hand-me-downs, so hardly had to buy any clothes, but they were ALL pink! We did buy a few things and I knit sweaters, so were were able to mix in other colors, but it is insanely frustrating that people think pink is the only color a girl could possibly wear the first year.
pockets says
If you have your heart set on this stroller, you could try to find a used one and then get the camo seat liner and footmuff (the footmuff would probably work with any stroller).
Jdubs says
I think it totally depends on your location and use of the stroller. I have had my Uppababy Vista for 4 years and it is a work horse. We walk 1+ miles to and from daycare everyday in NYC in every weather (snow storm today woohoo!) That thing doesn’t quit. When it breaks UppaBaby has THE BEST customer service – even though it is now out of warranty. I initially thought NO WAY would I spend $700 on a stroller, but if you think we have probably used it somewhere around 700 days in the last 4 years… then $1/day isn’t bad. No way could we have done the same with an umbrella stroller. However, if you are in the suburbs and would mostly be using it for short trips putting it in/out of the car – I would find a giant stroller like that to be a huge pain.